Paul Ricoeur's reception in Old Testament biblical studies is eclectic to this day. Martina Weingärtner sets a counterpoint to this and works out the application of his hermeneutics in dialogue with Old Testament exegesis. The achievement of the synthesis consists in bundling the reflections of Ricœur and translating them into a methodology of text comprehension that recognizes the proprium of biblical texts. The analysis (explanation) of the episode of the lentil dish (Gen 25.29-34) forms the starting point of the study. In a constructive expansion of historical-critical methodology, the interpretation (understanding) aims to perceive this narrative as a meaningful story and its existential function. In this way, the author can present new findings compared to previous exegeses, which refrain from an Esau concentration and its negative assessment. Reading the sales episode as a guilty tale opens up a deeper theological interpretation of a text that has been neglected in this regard.